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QAMISHLI – The radical group of Islamic State (ISIS) has used dozens of mortar bombs containing poisonous chlorine gas north of Tikrit against Iraqi forces, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said on Monday.

The Iraqi military command confirmed that “ISIS has used mortar bombs containing chlorine gas with a bad smell in a bid to stop the advance of our troops.”

Speaking to ARA News in Erbil, Iraqi journalist Iyad Karkuki said: “Daesh (ISIS) is fully aware of the mounting rifts between its enemies; the international and regional powers.”

“The U.S.-led coalition forces on the one hand, and Russia backed by its allies of Iran and China on the other hand, agree on the serious threat of ISIS on the Middle East and the world.”

“However, they have deep rifts on the mechanism of eradicating the terror group,” he argued.

“Daesh uses every method in its disposal to keep areas in Iraq, including chlorine and mustard gases,” he added, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS.

The Iraqi army reiterated Monday on the progress of its forces against the terror group in various parts of Iraq. The army was able to kill dozens of ISIS extremists, including leading militants, in airstrikes carried out by the military intelligence cell in coordination with the U.S.-led coalition forces in the area.

In January, Iraqi Kurdish authorities said they had evidence that ISIS had used chlorine gas as a chemical weapon against their Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq. Similar ISIS-led chemical attacks were reported in August.

Notably, the Kurdish forces of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), who are in fight against ISIS in northeastern Syria, announced mid-July that the terror group had used chemical weapons in the battles of Kobane –which was later liberated by the Kurdish forces.